Excimer laser catheter

Abstract

A method and apparatus of providing endovascular therapy. The steps include arranging optical fibers within a catheter, the catheter having a tip whose length is at least 1 cm and whose diameter of less than 1 millimeter, connecting an excimer laser to the optical fibers; and delivering laser energy from the excimer laser in excess of 60 fluence at 40 Hertz through the optical fibers. The delivering of the laser energy may be to non-calcified or calcified deposits of an atherosclerotic lesion to ablate the same. The method also includes the step of inserting the catheter through an artery by pushing the same until the tip is in within laser energy striking distance of the atherosclerotic lesion.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An excimer laser catheter, comprising: 
       an elongated body containing optical fibers in a concentric arrangement, the body having a tip whose diameter is smaller than a portion of a remainder of the body, the tip having a length of at least 1 cm and a diameter of at most 0.9 mm, the catheter being configured and arranged for being capable of delivering laser energy from an excimer laser through the optical fibers, each of the optical fibers extending through a full length of the tip.  
     
     
       2. A catheter as in  claim 1 , wherein the catheter is configured and arranged to deliver the laser energy at an energy level that is in excess of 60 fluence at 40 Hertz. 
     
     
       3. A catheter as in  claim 1 , wherein the optical fibers are arranged in at least two rows, spaced radially from each other and concentric with each other. 
     
     
       4. A catheter as in  claim 1 , wherein all of the optical fibers are arranged in a single row only and equidistant from a longitudinal axis of the body. 
     
     
       5. A catheter as in  claim 1 , wherein the optical fibers are arranged in only two rows, spaced radially from each other and concentric with each other. 
     
     
       6. A catheter as in  claim 1 , wherein the tip having an end made of platinum. 
     
     
       7. A catheter as in  claim 1 , wherein the tip has a diameter between about 0.8 mm and 0.9 mm, inclusive. 
     
     
       8. A method of providing endovascular therapy, comprising the steps of: 
       arranging within an elongated catheter a plurality of optical fibers in at least one row equidistant from a longitudinal axis of the elongated catheter, the catheter terminating in a tip whose length is at least 1 cm and a diameter of at most 0.9 mm, the optical fibers extending through a full length of the tip, the diameter of the tip being smaller than a diameter of a portion of a remainder of the catheter;  
       connecting an excimer laser to the optical fibers; and  
       delivering laser energy from the excimer laser through the optical fibers.  
     
     
       9. A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the delivering of the laser energy is in excess of 60 fluence at 40 Hertz. 
     
     
       10. A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the step of arranging includes arranging the optical fibers in at least two rows spaced radially from each other and concentric with each other. 
     
     
       11. A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the step of arranging includes arranging all of the optical fibers in a single row and equidistant from a longitudinal axis of the catheter. 
     
     
       12. A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the step of arranging includes arranging the optical fibers in only two rows spaced radially from each other and concentric with each other. 
     
     
       13. A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the step of arranging includes providing an end of the tip that is made of platinum. 
     
     
       14. A method as in  claim 8 , further comprising forming the tip to have a diameter of between about 0.8 mm and 0.9 mm. 
     
     
       15. A method as in  claim 8 , further comprising the step of delivering the laser energy to calcified deposits of an atherosclerotic lesion. 
     
     
       16. A method as in  claim 15 , further comprising the step of inserting the catheter through an artery by pushing the same until the tip is in within laser energy striking distance of the atherosclerotic lesion for ablating the calcified deposits.